Wednesday, February 01, 2006

A Real Woman . . .

Written by Philip Hainline, Heidi Reimer, and Maria Reimer at the respective ages of 16, 19, and 17.

A real woman . . .

…is glad she’s a woman and rejoices in her femininity, expressing it through her attitude, appearance and bearing. (1 Timothy 2:9-10)

…does not compete for equality with men or chafe at God’s design for male and female, but delights in and understands the importance of her calling to complement man’s role. (1 Timothy 2:11-12, Ephesians 5:22-24)

…values the cultivation of her mind and diligently seeks after wisdom and knowledge. (Proverbs 22:17-21, 2:2-6)

…realizes her imperative need to allow the Holy Spirit to control her emotions and expressions of them. (James 1:19-20)

…does not wallow in self-pity or make a habit of voicing complaints, but radiates cheerfulness and joy. (Proverbs 15:15, Proverbs 17:22)

A real woman . . .

…appreciates her father’s protection, and respects and submits to his authority. In so doing, she is preparing herself to exercise the Biblical role in her relationship with a possible future husband. (Ephesians 5:33-6:3, 1 Peter 3:1-2)

…is trustworthy and gains the respect of those around her. (Proverbs 31:11)

…encourages and builds up those around her instead of criticizing and tearing them down. (1 Thessalonians 5:11, Ephesians 4:29)

…does not have a nagging, contentious or manipulative manner in which she deals with others. (Judges 16:16, Proverbs 21:9, 19, 26:21)

…is not boisterous or loud in her speech or actions but is characterized by a gentle and quiet spirit. (Proverbs 9:13, 1 Peter 3:4)

A real woman . . .

…portrays chastity, modesty and reverence in her manner, and wears the ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is her true beauty. (1 Peter 3:3-4, Titus 2:4-5)

…is not offended by respect shown her through gentlemanly courtesies (opening doors, etc.) but cultivates the differences between the sexes that make her worthy of this deference. (1 Peter 3:7, Mark 10:6)

…seeks to make God her number one desire and the Lover of her soul, knowing that only He can fully satisfy. (Psalm 73:25, Psalm 63:1)

…uses her years of singleness to seek and serve God without distraction, and is content to leave the details of her future to Him. (Psalm 73:25, Philippians 4:11)

A real woman . . .

…does not relate to members of the opposite sex in a flirtatious or forward manner, but instead saves all her passion for her future husband. (Thessalonians 4:3-8, Proverbs 6:25, 1 Corinthians 7:1)

…holds her virginity before marriage sacred and will not compromise it for anything. (This one goes for guys too)(1 Timothy 5:22)

anonymous, want to leave you with a word from God: "If we confess and repent of our sins, God is faithful and just to purify us from all unrighteousness." If you are no longer a virgin, you do not need to hold yourself prisoner to the past, so long as you decide to move on. Repentance is not about just feeling sorry or just saying sorry, but is turning 180 degrees away from the sin and choosing a different course from now on. From now on, you can choose to be pure. For a real life example, look at http://andrewong2024.blog.com for a brother who in his own words had done drugs, drinks, rebellion and indulged in womanizing but by the grace of God, through a process of *allowing* God to heal him, he is now free from guilt and shame and is living a new life entirely. You can live a new life, too. In Christ, you can be a new creation, someone who is not unreal to yourself, but instead, someone who has always been inside of you, being released to truly live.

Wow! You young ladies have done an excellent job in jotting down the characteristics of a godly woman. I have copied this out (I hope that is okay) for me to read often and to have for my daugther when she grows up.

I am especially thankful that you have backed each and every characteristic up with the ultimate authority - the Holy Scriptures!!

May God bless you as you seek to live for Him - you have been a blessing to me today!